1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pouring attachments for containers and, more particularly, is concerned with a pouring attachment for a container having different interchangeable and replaceable pouring structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional container for storing paint and other fluids has a cylindrical body with an open top defined by an annular rim having an annular channel which opens upwardly. A pry-off type cover for the container has a downwardly projecting apron which inserts into the annular channel on the container rim to provide a frictional fit with the container rim. It is a common practice to pour paint from the container into another receptacle for mixing the paint, or to pour a desired quantity of paint into a receptacle more convenient for reception of a brush, or a roller, or to fill a sprayer.
In the process of pouring paint from the container, the flow of paint crosses the open channel on the rim, leaving a deposit of paint in the channel. If the paint in the channel is not first removed, the cover apron will force the paint out of the channel, outwardly over the edge of the rim, and down the exterior of the container body, upon resealing the container by replacement of the container cover. The paint deposited in the open channel of the container rim presents an unattractive cleanup task which is both time-consuming and messy.
Pouring attachments have been proposed in the prior patent art for alleviating the aforementioned problem resulting from pouring paint over the open channel of the container rim. Representative of the prior art attachments are the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Jorgensen (2,564,979), Smith (3,031,112), Haverstick (3,309,000), Pinter, Jr. (3,356,266), Weir, Jr. et al (3,853,249), Gaal (3,899,107), Koeller (3,994,424) and Bennett (4,369,890). These prior art pouring attachments, especially the one disclosed in the Weir, Jr. et al patent, probably overcome the aforementioned problem reasonably well. However, most of these pouring attachments appear to substitute other problems in its place. Now, instead of having to clean the container rim channel, the pouring attachment must be removed and cleaned. Also, the prior art pouring attachments are limited to a single spout-type pouring configuration. If other pouring configurations, such as funnel and filter types, would be useful and desired, then an entire new pouring attachment would have to be manufactured with the different pouring configuration.
Consequently, a need still exists for another approach to pouring attachments for paint-type containers.